Kayla Mitchell

Media-Production Editor

Lumineers release new album

On Feb. 14, the American folk-rock band The Lumineers released their new album, Automatic. This album marks Jeremiah Fraites and Wesley Schultz’s fifth album since their self-titled debut in 2012. The duo is known for their bright, catchy tunes and meaningful lyrics that convey important messages from their lives. The Lumineers gained popularity in 2016 after the release of their song Cleopatra and since then have released many top songs, including Ho Hey and Ophelia. The duo continued their usual themes of upbeat melodies but decided to be more raw and expressive in their new album.

The tracks in the album Automatic express the meaningful relationship between Fraites and Schultz as friends and bandmates. The Lumineers announced the album with the two singles, You’re All I Got and So Long. The band members took inspiration from their experiences during the pandemic when both artists’ families were forced to adjust to the struggles of their new lives. By combining their experiences with parenthood during the global disaster, the duo created the heartfelt lyrics involved in their new album. In a press conference, Fraites described the mood of the album: “[Automatic holds] a palpable sense of connection between Wes and me. There’s lots of love on this record.” The emotions in the album are best expressed through the two singles released before the rest of the album. In You’re All I Got, Schultz pushes his vocals to their limits, creating the desperate and vulnerable tone of the song. According to Schultz, “It’s on the edge of where I can hit a note, so you feel that tension. When you’re saying to someone, ‘You’re all I got,’ it carries that same raw emotion.”

The album is composed of 11 tracks and lasts for a total of 32 minutes. The first song on the album, titled Same Old Song, returned The Lumineers to the No. 1 rank on the Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart for the sixth time. The song tells the story of a young, struggling artist who cannot afford their rent, feels insecure about their talent, has their instruments stolen, and is left questioning the meaning of life while still maintaining their dreams of making it big as an artist. Fans appreciate the thought put into the lyrics and song title, which reads as SOS, expressing the pain of the narrator and the overall pain of the story. Along with the album, the band announced the Automatic World Tour beginning on Jul. 3, where the artists will be performing across the US and in Canada at the end of the trip. Tickets are currently on sale for the band’s performance on Aug. 5 in San Francisco at the Chase Center. The Lumineers’ new album masterfully blends deep melancholy emotions with their signature warmth and optimism, creating a touching, uplifting musical journey.

(Source: American Songwriter)